Coupling.



M. J. DRURY & G. W. WRIGHT.

COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 7, 1911.

Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

2 SHBBTSSHEET l.

K- I w COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO., WAsmNawN. D. c.

M. J. DRURY & G. W. WRIGHT.

COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 7, 1911 1,057,810, 1 Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Will/Ill]! IIIII/II COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.. WASHINDTON. D. c. v

UNITED STATES vATENT @FICE.

MICHAEL J. DRURY AND GEORGE W. WRIGHT, OF LA'JUNTA, COLORADO.

COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. August 7, 1911.

Patented Apr. 1, 1913. Serial No. 642,688.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, MICHAEL J. DRURY and GEORGE W. WRIGHT, citizens of the United States, and residents of La Junta, in the county of Otero and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Couplers, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of our specification. Our invention relates to a coupler, more especially intended for use between locomotives and their tenders, which will be automatic in operation and at the same time provide a secure and efficient coupling which may be readily manipulated, as will be more fully understood from the following detailed description.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a plan view of the coupling mechanism in connection with a well known type of friction draft gear secured to the under frame or timbers of the tender; a portion of the coupler being shown in horizontal section. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken to one side of the longitudinal center, with a portion of the mechanism being shown in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the draw-head or coupler, with a portion of the draw-head broken away in order to disclose the coupling and locking members within. Fig. 4: is adetailed view in perspective of the coupler operating lever.

The coupler comprises the draw-head casting 5, which may either be formed integral, with the rear deck of the locomotive, or it may be a separate casting or member suitably secured to the locomotive.

In the exemplification of our invention, the draw-head 5 is shown designed to be secured to the rear deck of the locomotive by means of the pin 6 which passes through a suitable opening in a portion of the frame members of the locomotive deck and the hole 7 extending vertically through one end of draw-head 5, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3; the method of connection being similar in manner to the one employed for the common form of draw bar at present in general use. It will be understood, of course, that any method may be employed for securing the draw-head to the deck casting of the 10- comotive; as previously stated, the drawhead may be made an integral part of the deck casting, or it may be made separate therefrom but rigidly suitable manner.

The opposite end of the draw-head 5, or what might be said to constitute the mouth of the draw-head, is provided with two sets of oppositely disposed lugs or bifurcations 8, 8, the lugs of the respective sets or pairs being preferably arranged in the same vertical plane as is clearly shown in the drawings, see Figs. 2 and 3. These lugs are arranged on either side of the longitudinal center or line of draft, and are arranged to receive the jaws or knuckles 9, 9, as clearly shown in Fig. 3; each clamping member or jaw 9, being pivotally secured between the bifurcations or the lugs of each set by means of the pins 10, 10, which pass through the lugs and the body portion of the clamping jaws or knuckles 9, so as to permit the ends of members to oscillate or swing in a transverse direction. Each jaw or clamping member 9 is provided with a tail portion 11, which extends backward into the draw head 5, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3; and the opposite or outer end of each clamping member or jaw 9 is provided with the engaging or clamping surface 12, which is preferably inclined inwardly in the manner shown in the drawings. 13 indicates the draw bar of a well known type of friction draft gear shown at 14, which is secured to the tender. The shank of the draw bar 13 is preferably provided at its outer end with the shoulders 15, 15, which are shaped to coincide with the inclined surfaces 12, 12, of the clamping members 9, see Fig. 1. By having the shoulders on the draw bar correspond in shape with the surfaces 12 of the jaws of the draw head, a tendency toward wedging or forcing the jaws apart, under the action of the draw bar pull, will be avoided.

The draw-head 5 is provided with a suitably shaped vertically extending opening through the upper face or wall thereof, as shown at 16, which is adapted to receive a locking block 17. The opening 16 in the draw-head 5 is at a point coincident with the ends of the tail portions 11 of the clamping members or jaws 9; and the opening 16 is of a shape to correspond with the peculiar shape of the locking block 17, see Fig. 3, thereby maintaining the locking block in its proper relative position. There is an opening in the lower wall of draw-head 5 which is off-set and smaller than opening 16, as

secured thereto in any shown in Fig. 2, to receive merely the downwardly projecting portion of block 17, which latter rests on the lower recessed wall of draw-head 5.

The locking block or member 17 is provided with the forwardly extending wedge portion or tongue 18 which is intended to extend between the tail portions 11 of the locking members or jaws 9; and the block 17 is also provided with the downwardly extending arm 19 which is preferably offset or made to project from the rear face of the block 17 as clearly shown in Fig. 2, so that when the locking block 17 is raised from locking position, the downwardly projecting arm 19 will not interfere or come into contact with the tail portions of the jaws of the clamping portions 9. The locking block 17 is also provided with laterally extending shoulders 20, 20, adapted to rest 011 the lugs 21 of the draw-head 5 when the locking member 17 has been raised out of locking position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The engagement of the shoulders 20 with the lugs 21 of the draw-head will be brought about in the forward movement of the locking block, after the block has been raised out of the draw-head, through the action of its own weight, thus automatically maintaining the block in its disengaged or unlocking position.

Secured to the downwardly projecting arm 19 of the locking block 17 is an operating lever 22, which is pivotally secured to the frame or casting of the locomotive deck in any suit-able manner as for example by the bearing blocks or lugs 23 and 24, which may be of any suitable shape to hold the lever in proper position. In the exemplification of our invention, we have shown this lever composed of two linked members bent so as to permit of the lever being rocked and thereby either raise or lower the locking member or block 17. It is apparent, however, that the lever may be otherwise constructed. Safety links or bars 25, 25, are shown, with a connection being formed by the draw-pins 26, in the manner generally employed between locomotive and tender.

In the operation of our invention, before the locomotive and its tender are coupled together, the locking members or jaws 9, 9, will be separated, at their front or outer ends until the head of the draw bar 18 is forced between the jaws, when the head of the draw-bar, through its cont-act with the forward part of the tail portions 11 of the clamping members, will force the tail portions 11 against the sides of the draw-head 5, thereby bringing the jaw portions or surfaces 12, 12, of the clamping members 9, 9, toward each other and into engagement with the shoulders 15 on the draw bar. When the tail portions 11, 11, of the jaws or clamping members 9, 9, are forced apart by the head of the draw bar 13, as described, the tail portions 11 will strike or engage the lower part of the forwardly extending tongue portion 18 of the raised locking member or block 17, and by reason of the beveled surfaces with which the locking member 17 is provided, will force the block backward and disengage the shoulders 20, 20, from. lugs 21, thereby causing locking member or block 17 to drop down into the draw-head 5, as shown in the drawings, thus permitting the forwardly extending portion or tongue 18 to extend between the tail portions 11 of the clamping members or jaws 9. This will maintain the jaws in closed or locked position as more clearly shown in l ig. 1. It is evident from the construction shown and described that the head of the draw bar 13 cannot now be withdrawn, and that the pulling and jarring of the draw bar will in no way affect the locking position of the jaws or clamping members 9.

When it is desired to uncouple the locon'iotive from its tender, lever 22 is rocked in the direction that will raise block or member 17 sufficiently to bring the tongue portion 18 above the tail portions 11 of the knuckles or jaws 9, at which time the laterally extending shoulders 20 will also be raised far enough to permit them to engage or come upon the lugs 21 of the draw-head By reason of the construction of the locking block 17, it is evident that as soon shoulders 20 are raised up far enough as to bring them through the opening in the draw-head, block or member 17 will fall or tilt forward by its own weight and bring the shoulders 20 onto the lugs 21, thus automatically holding the member or block 17 in its raised or unlocking position independent of the lifting device or lever.

We prefer to employ the two-part or composite lever 22, which has a slight independent movement between the respective members of the lever, so that when the lever is rocked to raise the member or block 17, a slight twisting or independent movement of the portion of the lever connected to the block may be had, to permit the block to fall forward as previously described, even though the operator may still maintain a hold on the other portion of the lever. With the locking member or block 17 raised, it is evident that the engaging portions or jaws of members 9, 9, will be free to separate and permit of the withdrawal of the draw bar. in order that the jaws of the clamping members 9, 9, may separate a sufiicient distance, the tail portion of one of the members is formed to take into a slot 27 provided in the tail portion of the opposite member.

Ne have shown and described what we believe tobe the best construction of our invention shown in connection with a draw bar arranged to transmit the pull of the locomotive to the tender frame through a friction draft gear, but it is apparent that the construction may be modified in certain details without departing from the spirit of our invention, and that other forms of draft gear may be employed; it is merely essential that the draw bar of the draft gear be provided with engaging shoulders adapted to fit into the mouth or open end of the draw-head and come between the pivotally mounted clamping members or jaws as previously described, and we do not wish to be understood therefore as limiting ourselves to the precise construction shown and described, but

That we claim as our invention, and-wish to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A coupler, comprising an open-mouthed draw-head, a pair of clamping members pivotally mounted to opposite sides of the draft line or longitudinal center of the draw-head, said members being provided with portions extending rearwardly from their pivotal points and so arranged that the impact of a draw bar will bring the engaging portions or jaws of the clamping members into engagement with the drawbar, and vertically movable gravity controlled means having forwardly presented beveled surfaces mounted in the draw-head and arranged to automatically lock the clamping members in engaging position.

2. A coupler, comprising an openmouthed draw-head, a pair of clamping members pivotally secured in the mouth of the draw-head on opposite sides of the draft line or longitudinal center thereof, said clamping members being provided with tail portions extending rearwardly from the pivot-a1 point-s thereof, and a locking member loosely mounted in the opposite or closed end of the draw-head, said locking member being provided with forwardly presented and laterally extending beveled surfaces and an off-set depending portion arranged to be engaged by the tail portions of the clamping members when the latter are moved through impact with a draw bar and thereby automatically moved into looking posit-ion between the tail portions of the clamping members.

3. A coupler, comprising an mouthed draw-head, a pair of clamping members pivotally secured in the mouth of the draw-head on opposite sides of the draft line or longitudinal center thereof, said clamping members being provided with tail portions extending rearwardly from the pivotal points thereof and arranged to overlap each other, the draw-head being provided with an opening extending vertically therethrough at a point coincident with the rear end of the tail portions, the upper Wall of the draw-head being provided with lugs or shoulders at points slightly beneath the upper orifice of said vertically extending opening and extending into the opening at opposite sides of the center thereof, a vertically movable locking block having laterally extending shoulders adjacent to the rear side thereof, adapted to engage with said lugs when the locking block is moved upwardly and at a forward incline to maintain the latter in its raised or unlocked position, a portion of said block depending from a point rearward of the forward end of the block, arranged to be engaged by the uppermost tail-portion of the clamping members when the latter are swung into clamping position, thereby moving said block rearwardly and out of engagement with the lugs so as to permit the block to drop between the separated tail portions and hold the clamping members in looking position, and mechanism connected with the rear side of said block whereby the latter is moved upward into unlocked position.

M. J. DRURY. G. W. WRIGHT. 'Witnesses:

C. J. S'roFrnL, F. H. YOUNG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

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